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W. R. GREEN BUMPER.

APPLICATION FILED IAII.2. IyIv 3 SHEETS SHEET l.

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MIE 'EFI W. R. GREEN. BUMPER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.2. 19I8.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

W@ mi E IZ f gwn" 111:213-

W. R. GREEN.

BUMPER.

l APUCATIO'N FILED JAN.2. |918. 1,31 1,557. Patented July29, 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

- UNITED san i WALTER R. GREEN, GE CHHJAGO, LLN-S.

Application filed January 2, 191e.

To all whom it may concern.'

' Be vit known that I, WAI/run R. Glu-IEN, a

- citizen of the United States, and a residentof the city of Chicago,

in the county ofi' Coeli Yand State of Illinois, have invented certain i new and useful `Improvements in Bumpers;

and l do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription of 'the J same, reference being had to the accompany- 'ing drawings, and to the numerals of reference markedthereon, which form a part of this specification.

This inventionl relates to an improved form o'f adjustable bumper adapted toglie mounted uponthe rear end of an autunno,

bile.

l 'Y It is an object of this invention to construct an adjustableand flexible rear bumper for automobiles. y

It is also an objecvJ of the 'invention to provide an adjustable rear bumper for a motor car adapted to be attached to thesupportl lng rods of a' tire carrier 4vA further object of.this vinvention is the construction of a rear automobile bumper having a bumper bar frictionally held in position by brackets secured on rods 'orming` a partof a tire carrier.

L., Another object of the invention 'is Athe construction of'an automobile rear bumper fvvherein a bumper bar is supported in position in pivoted supports attached to sup- `porting arms mounted on the rear end of the chassis of the automobile. 4 l An important object of this invention is `the construction of an automobile rear bumper ofsimplc and effective construction ,wherein pivoted supports are mounted upon @supporting rods attached 'to the 40.

g a iieXible bumper bar in position and automobile onally hold permit movement of said bar with respect thereto chassis, and are adapted to fricti fwhen the bar is stressed.

Other and further important objects ofl this inventionfwfill be'apparent from the disclosures in the specicatxonand draw- L lings.

The invention (1n a preferred form) is `illustrated in 'the drawings and hereinafter "more fully described.

In vthe drawings: Figure l 1s a ,top plan vieu7 of a rear bumper embodying the principles of this inu end` of the chassis of a motor car.

.ventiom shown mounted in position on tire carrier supporting rods secured to the rear specification of Lettere on line 2 i thereof.

`or yoke-shaped rear sill l posed tothe outside 'or the side sills the Wooden side sills 3, ol" the bed?,Y of the and l 1g. s...

is a reduced. section taken on line i; Fig. with parte shown in eleva- -gz is a irzHfTnentfrsry (letali view taken Fig. a sectional vieu? ou line of Fig. l. 4

Fig. l is top pien vier: of a. form of 'the device.

Eig. 8 is longitudinal central section modined 7 F 1o'. 9 an:p enlarged section taken en line C. .Fien l0 is a 'reduced detail. section on line Fig. ll is an enlarged detail section taken flinellll of Fig'. 8.

12 is an end eier :.icnal view or another nir-gufiiiied form of the device shown attached to 'the chassis an automobile.

13 is reduced p plan 'view i Fig. lf is an f l on iine 15-15 of r Fig. l@ flete i6-i6 or f ig. Fig. l? i a fragmentary detail section on line lil-?" of F As shown on t" e Y:She reference .numeral iongitudinal or side sills automobilef chassis. Said side' sills have Lidly co1unected to the rear ends thereof, an arched member Dis are , mlicates the SW3). lll

Rigidly supported on the outer portions of the bracket arms 7, by means of clamping ternally threaded to fit on the end of one of the bracket arms, While the other or outer end oli' the coupler is integral with the head 11, and forms a bearing or supporting sleeve or collar 12, the outer end portion oi Which is rounded,v as denoted by the reference numeral 13 The upper and lower surfaces 14, of the coupler sleeve 12, are lat and parallel to one another.

For a purpose hereinafter described, the coupler sleeve is provided with a vertically disposed passage, positioned at right angles to the threaded passage of the head portion of the coupler. Pivotally supported on the coupler sleeve, by means of a pivot bolt 15, Which'projects through the vertical sleeve passage, is a Uniross-sectioned or channel cross-sectioned support embracing a rectangular plate 16, having integrally formed at right lower marginal edges thereof, semi-circular plates or flanges 17, through which the pivot bolt projects, to hold said iiange plates 17, aga-inst the flat surfaces 14, of the coupler. A bearing bolt 13, at each end'of the U- shaped member1 connects the respective up` per and lower flange plates 17, to one another to reinforce the same, with the bearing bolts disposed to the inside of the plate y16, near each end thereor", to Yform bracing osts. i

p Movably projecting thrrmgh the U-shaped bumper supporting members is a flexible metal bar 19, the ends of which are curved inwardly toward the car. Said bumper bar 19, normally is frictionally held in position by means of the curved ends 13, oi' the coupier sleeves 12, which nornially are disposed at right angles to the bumper bar, which is held braced against the bearing bolts 18, as clearly shown in `Fig. 1i.

Figs. 7 to 11, inclusive, disclose a modified form of the device which embraces coilplers 21, removably threaded on the threaded ends 10, of the bracket arms 7. Said couplers have the outer ends thereof curved as previously described, and are vertically apertured to permit a curved channel crosssectioned bumper member to be pivotally mounted on each thereof by means of a pivot bolt 23. Projecting through the upper and lower flanges of the lnu'uper member 22, near the connecting platos thereof, are bolts 24, each oi' which has rotatably mounted thereangles thereto along the upper and on a bearingisleeve 25. 'A exible metal bumper bar or spring 26, connects the bumper members 22, and is disposed Within said members between the bearing sleeves 25, and the curved bearing ends of the couplers 21, Which normally frictionally engage said bumper bar to hold the same in position against movement. As shown in Fig. v8, the bumper bar bridges the space between the pivoted bumper members 22, and has the ends thereof curved to afford suitable bear'-,

ing ends which press against the inner surfaces of theconnecting plates of said bumper members.

Another modified form of the device is disclosed in Figs. 12 to 17,. inclusive land embraces attaching arms, plates or bars 27,. y

each provided with a longitudinal .slot 28,

intermediate the ends thereof, and a plu-l rality of apertures or openings 29, near the rear end to permit said bars to be attachedy or fitted to chassis sills of' dilierent sizes.

Projecting through an opening near the forw- Ward end of each supporting plateK 27, is a hook bolt 30, which' is adapted to rest upon the upper curved surfaceof one ofthe ehassis sills 1, with the hooked portion of said'. i

bolt lengaged around the vupperian'ge of said sill thereby holding the front portion of the plate in osition. A hook bolt 31, is engaged throng the'slot 28, and has the hookedportion thereof engaged around the lower flange of one of the chassis sills 1, as

clearly shown in Fig. 17. Theslot 28', a'f- 'v fords a means whereby the plate 27, ,may be attached to chassis sills of different sizes.

To secure the rear end of eachof the plates 27, in position, a hook bolt 32, is engagedfgsaid plates, With the hooked portion of eacl of said bolts 32, engaged around the lower flange of the respective chassis sills. j

The outer end of each of thesupprting or mounting plates 27 ,is looped and folded upon itself to form a rounded abutment head 33, through which 'projects a pivot bolt 34, adapted to pivotally hold a U-cross- 4sectionedA or channel support in position. Said channel support embraces a rectangular plate 35, having integrally formed at through one of the apertures y29, of each of* right angles thereto along the upper and 38, is spaced from the inner bumper bar amusez 37, and has the endstheieof curved in- Wardly'. The adjacent ends of the bumper bars 37 Aand 38, are clamped or secured to one another by means of a curvedinner channel clamp 39, which telescopes or interf lits with an outer channel clamp e0. The

- flanges o saidclamps 39 and i0, are apand 38, abut, lthus a'oriling an arrangement whereby the clamps 39 and 40, are prevented fromsliding inwardly on the bumper bars, while the Wedge bolts prevent outward movement of said clamps.

The 'operation is as follows:

In the form of bumper shown in Figs. l to 6, inclusive, the pivoted supports are mounted on the attaching members or couplers and are connected bymeans oi the flexible bumper bar 19, which normally is frietionally held in position between the bearing bolts 18, and the cur 1ed ends 13, of the couplers. A force applied to the bumper har between the pivoted supports thereof will iex or bend the'same inwardly toward the ear into the dotted line position shown in Fig. l, simultaneously forcing the our end portions of the bar rearwardly4 away from the car. The bending of the bumper bar pivotally turns the bump-er supu ports inwardly toward one another, thus permitting the bumper bar to slidably move a sli ht amount between the respective bear-v -ing olts andthe outer curved ends of the couplers, It Will also be seen .that a force applied to the curved ends of the bumper bar-,Will bend or flex the central portion of the bumper bar outwardly, turning the .pivoted bumper supports oi'itwardly away from each other. The stressed bumper bar, of course, automatically springs back into normal osition when the bending force is removed? Thel opera l'on'y or the forni oi bumper shown in Figi 7' to.1l, inclusive, is very sim le.` 1n :t is case the shock receiving me bers are t e pivoted supports 22, which, whe struck, turn on their pivots and liex or ben the spring bumper bar 26, which in its ben ing movement is permitted to move sliglltly on the roller bearing sleeves 25. The bumper bar 26, of course, returns the pvoted supports to normal position after the stress has been removed.

The operation of the l double bumper shown in Figsll toll', inclusive, is similar to that already described. In this case, however, when the bumper is struclr the force is lreceived by the outer bumper bar 38, which of course is stressed inwardly, whereby the ends of said bar 33, are forced outwardly thus bending or lexing the inner bumper bar 37, which is permitted to bend, due to the pivoted arrangement of the channel supports 35-36. The double bumper bar construction acts to absorb or diliuse the shocks applied thereto, and thus reduces or min1- mizes the force of the shocks before the same are transmitted to the chassis of the vehicle to which the bumper is attached.

lWhile the bumper mechanisms shown are mounted upon bracket arms at the rear end of an automobile, it will be understood that the saine may also be readily mounted in position at the front end of a vehicle.

l am aware that numerous details of construction 4may be varied through a wide 'ange Without departing from the principles oi" this invention, and l therefore do not purpose-limiting the patent granted otherwise than necessitated by the prior art.

l claim as my invention: i

l. A device of the class described, comprising rigid supports, means pivotally en gagged on. each thereoi, and a resilient uni tary member having; frictional sliding engagement with each of said means to permit exing of said member both inwardly and outwardly with respect thereto.

f3. bumper embracing stationary sup-v ports, means pivotally supported thereon, and a flexible bumper means rictionally held in position between said supports and said first mentioned means.

3. An automobile bumper comprising pivotally mounted supports, and a resilient bumper member rictionally held in position thereby.

si. in a bumper for automobiles, station ary attaching members, means pivotally supported thereon, bearing members therein, and a. bumper bar frictionally held in position between said stationary members and said bearing members.

5.` In a bumper of the class described, bracket arms adapted to be secured to an automobile chassis, a coupler removably supported on the outer end of each bracket'arm, a support pivotally mounted on each of said couplers, bearing members in each of said supports, and a flexible spring bumper bar supported by said supports and frictionally held .in normal position between said coupiers and said bearing members.

6. A bumper comprising a flexible bumper member, and pivotcd means lsupporting the same in sliding relation to permitllexing of the member in either direction.

'l'. bumper embracing` a flexible oa i,anu means rietionally supportingy the bar v'in po# sition and in sliding relation with said means.

8.. A bumper consisting or a bumper bai,

eng position.

eged with said bar for holdingthe ber in 9. The combination with the time carrier supports of an automobile,

of av bumper bar,

5 and means pivotelly connected to said supports jfo position.

r frictionally holding said bar in yl0. :The combination with thev bracket ermsof a tire earrier,

1 0 secured thereon,

supporting members pivoted of couplers removably on said couplers, and a bumper bar movably supported by said members.

In testimony whereof l have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two subseribing witnesses. i

WALTER E. GREEN. Witnesses CHARLES W. Hubs, Jr., 'FRED E. PAESLER. 

